Ties to Family
by TogepiHearts
Summary: Giovanni hatches a plot to pretend to be Ash's dad in order to persuade him to join Team Rocket. Chapters 5 and 6 are up! ^^
1. Ch 1 The Plan

Hi! This is my first fan fic for Fanfiction.net, and it was inspired by various discussions on Ash's father, and by Father's Day. Hope ya like it! Oh yeah, and I don't own Pokemon, or any characters in it or anything about it. I wish I did, but I don't. ^-^  
  
Ties to Family  
  
Ch. 1: The Plan  
  
Two individuals, a girl and a boy, along with a short, furry, white, cat- like pokemon stopped at the end of a long corridor. They stood facing a large, darkened door with a sleepy guard in front of it.  
  
"Jessie," asked the blue haired young man, "What if the Boss fires us?"  
  
"He won't James!" Jessie, the girl with red hair answered, "He just can't!"  
  
"Yeah, sure," said the cat pokemon, trembling, "You just keep tellin' youwself dat..."  
  
The guard at the door seemed to be ignoring them, probably because of lack of sleep. He yawned, and waited for the person who was in the room last to come out. After what seemed like an eternity to Meowth, Jessie, and James, the door began to open. Another young girl and boy pair came stepping out of the room.  
  
The girl, whose pointy blond hair looked like it could poke your eye out, glared at Jessie, her face red with anger.  
  
"This is all your fault!" she began yelling at Jessie, "The Boss would have never been this angry with us if you two hadn't constantly been messing with our schemes! The Breeding Center... the hypnotizing beam... the Daycare... even the experiments with Lugia... all messed up! Because of you two, and those dumb little twerps, we've now been reduced to mere grunts like you!"  
  
Her face was now even redder, and her partner held her back as she finished yelling, whispering to her, "Don't worry Cassidy, someday we'll get back at them..."  
  
Cassidy shut up quickly, but not without a last glare of hatred aimed at Jessie, who reciprocated every feeling.  
  
Jessie had half a mind to go chase after that witch and punch her face in.  
  
James now grabbed onto his partner as she took a step forward, "No Jessie! We can't be late for the Boss!"  
  
Jessie stopped fighting her partner's hold, "Alright, but if we see them in the Team Rocket break room... she's getting green Jell-O slapped in her face, and then I'm going to personally kick her..."  
  
"Ahem," said an ominous figure standing in the doorway.  
  
"Oh Boss, it's you!" said Meowth, attempting to look pleased.  
  
"Hmm..." said Giovanni, raising an eyebrow, "You can come in now."  
  
Jessie and James shot nervous looks at each other. They entered their boss' room, and saw two large chairs, apparently meant for them to sit in.  
  
Giovanni sat down at his desk in his overly large chair, and folded his arms.  
  
"Sit down," he commanded to Jessie and James.  
  
They exchanged even more nervous looks, but knew that it would be worse to refuse a seat than suffer the Boss' wrath sitting down.  
  
Giovanni looked both Jessie and James in the eyes after they sat down, "Butch and Cassidy have told me about the way you meddle in their tasks..."  
  
Jessie gulped, "Uh... well, you see sir, James and I... we... well, just please don't punish us!! It was all James' fault I swear! I had nothing to do with it!"  
  
"What?!" yelled James angrily, "That's not true! You agreed to half the things we did... well, except for the Daycare... that was definitely me..."  
  
"Will you two half-wits shut up for a minute!" Giovanni said, glaring at them with an intense dislike.  
  
He hated having to involve these two idiots with his plans, but it was necessary. There was no way he could hope to get to this troublesome boy, that Butch and Cassidy talked about, without Jessie and James. His dependence on them was almost laughable, but couldn't be helped.  
  
Giovanni chuckled upon seeing their nervous stares as they waited for him to reprimand them. "Oh I'm not going to punish you! I know that the two of you could never intentionally mess anything up even if you tried! Butch and Cassidy are too well-trained to let anything happen to their plans. Besides, the two of you can't even handle the simplest tasks. You even mess up messing up."  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth all bowed their heads, shameful for the lack of success they had experienced in the past.  
  
James was the first to catch on to what Giovanni had not told them. "Then, why did you ask us here?" he asked timidly with a mild confusion.  
  
"Because, I want to know more about this boy and his friends," Giovanni said, turning his chair around to look out his window to the land below.  
  
"What?" said Jessie, "You want to know about the Twerp?!"  
  
"Yes," said Giovanni, "And about this Pikachu that has ruined four great plans not including the experiments with Mewtwo in Johto, and I want to know why this Pikachu has you two so mesmerized into chasing after it."  
  
"Well," said Jessie, unsure of where to begin, "He comes from Pallet Town. His name is Twer.. er.. Ash Ketchum, his mom's name is Delia, and his dad... well, I don't know anything about him. In fact, the Twerp never really mentions him."  
  
James nodded, "Yeah, and we've never seen him either."  
  
"Interesting," said Giovanni, his back still turned to them. He sat there for a few moments, apparently thinking.  
  
"What do you think James?" Jessie whispered.  
  
"I don't know... Why would the Boss care if the Twerp had a father?" James whispered back.  
  
Giovanni glanced to the assistant in his room. "You, go get a background check on this boy... Ash Ketchum, and his family history. And I want it in a half an hour... or less."  
  
The assistant nodded and quickly left the room, after writing the name down.  
  
"So why do you want to know all of this Boss?" Meowth asked him.  
  
Giovanni smiled, "Because, a pair like Ash and his Pikachu can be a very dangerous thing... when used by the right people." Jessie, James, and Meowth all looked at each other questioningly.  
  
"But," said James, attempting to be brave, "How would you get the Twerp to be evil? He's such a goodie goodie."  
  
Giovanni chuckled darkly, "If what you say is correct about his father... I think a father-son reunion is in store. Except this father wants his aspiring pokemon master to use his abilities for the 'right' reasons."  
  
"He'll never do it!" said Jessie, shaking her head, "I know the Twerp, and he would never do something to hurt pokemon."  
  
"We'll just see how far his pokemon loyalties lie when he meets his father."  
  
"What about his mother? She'll know that you're not his father!" James said.  
  
"Hmm," said Giovanni, thinking to himself, "Well, if he travels on his own without his mother, then his only contact with her is by phone. Perhaps we can arrange for a short-term vacation for her..."  
  
The assistant came walking back in, looking pleased.  
  
Giovanni looked up at her, "Well?"  
  
"Well," the assistant said, "It appears that little Ash Ketchum hasn't seen his father for years. Ever since he was two years old. He probably has very little or no memory of him. Apparently, his father was one of those guys who just can't settle down, and left his family to continue his own pokemon journey. Nobody knows where he is. And Ash and his mom, Delia, never talk about him."  
  
Jessie and James looked at each other with expressions of mild surprise. They were always amazed by how much information the Boss could find out about other people.  
  
Giovanni thought to himself. If there was anything he missed, this whole plan would be worthless.  
  
"What about pictures? He must have seen his father in pictures," Giovanni added.  
  
Jessie and James watched the whole exchange with blank looks on their faces.  
  
The assistant smiled broadly, "Well, that's where this story gets interesting. With a little change in hair style and some makeup, you could actually pass as his twin!"  
  
She held out a small picture of a man with black fluffy hair and a goofy grin.  
  
"My eyes are a bit different," Giovanni pointed out, "But otherwise, it shouldn't be a problem. And a little makeup can take care of that."  
  
He handed the assistant a paper with the name Delia Ketchum on it. "Here, make sure that this woman goes on a lovely vacation to the Orange Islands. Just call her up and say she won some sweepstakes or something. Make sure that she doesn't find her way to a phone."  
  
The assistant nodded and said reassuringly, "Yes sir, I'll make sure that two rocket members follow her."  
  
"Good," replied Giovanni, "And make sure it's not these two... or the two that were just in here. I don't want her dead."  
  
Jessie shook her head, "I still don't see how you could fool him! And even if he was convinced that you were his dad, I just don't think he would want to join an evil empire. His friends wouldn't let him!"  
  
Giovanni turned to the two Rockets in front of him, "I will. I may have to act a little, but you must remember; family ties, my friends, are always tighter than the bonds of friendship..."  
  
"But what if it doesn't work," Jessie said, feeling annoyed that the Boss had taken up the thing they had been trying to accomplish for the past few years.  
  
"Then, I will eliminate him, and steal his pokemon, including that Pikachu."  
  
"Can we do the stealing Pikachu part?" Jessie and James both asked.  
  
"No," said Giovanni sternly, "What do I look like, an idiot? You've spent years trying to capture that rat. Why would you be able to do it now. You two are just going to lead me to him. I will be the one to capture his pokemon; if necessary..."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------  
  
Ash sighed as he sat on the bleachers along with a crowd of hundreds of other people; including his best friends, Misty and Brock. Down below the bleachers, a pokemon competition was taking place.  
  
Ash sighed again as a young boy and his Marill won a battle against an old man and his Hitmontop.  
  
Pikachu patted his friend on the back soothingly. "Pika pika Pikapi," he said.  
  
Ash nodded, sensing what Pikachu was saying, "I know, but I'd rather be down there than up here."  
  
"Oh Ash!" said Misty with a tone of irritation, her orange hair glowing brightly in the sun, "You've participated in so many competitions before! Sitting out in just one shouldn't make a difference."  
  
Brock nodded with his squinty eyes, "Yeah, and we tried to get you into it, but, as you remember, they were all full. In fact, I'm surprised we even got into the stadium... this place is packed!"  
  
Misty nodded, "Yeah, you should be thankful for at least getting to see it! Ash? Ash are you listening?!"  
  
Ash's eyes were closed, and he seemed to be sleeping...  
  
"Why you little-" Misty started.  
  
Brock stopped her, "Let him sleep. At least he's not sighing or complaining."  
  
The competition went on into the afternoon, and when it was over, Ash and friends went walking off to congratulate the winner.  
  
"Hey there!" said Ash as he approached the winner, the boy he had seen earlier with his Marill. "You did a great job out there!" he said, "Nice win. Your Marill was great too!"  
  
"Thanks," said the boy blushing with embarrassment, "Well, I'd love to stick around, but I've gotta get home to my family. After all, it is Father's Day, and I'm going to go celebrate with my dad!"  
  
Ash at first looked happy for the boy, but then lowered his head, casting his stare at the ground.  
  
The boy said good-bye to Brock and Misty, then left the stadium.  
  
Misty noticed Ash's inner turmoil. "Ash, are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked, looking concerned.  
  
"It's nothing..." lied Ash, "Let's go back to the Pokemon Center."  
  
"Okay," said Brock, now looking as concerned as Misty, "Are you sure you're okay Ash. You can tell us if something's wrong you know..." He laid a hand on Ash's shoulder.  
  
"I'm fine... really," Ash said, still looking at the ground, "But thanks for your concern guys..."  
  
Ash's thoughts drifted to his father. The father that he never really knew... All the times he could have celebrated with his dad for all of the pokemon competitions he won, all two leagues he had competed in... Ash tried to ignore it, but it became harder to ignore every year. Especially since he was beginning to get older. A father figure right now would be really nice. Professor Oak had always acted as a second father, but it just wasn't... the same.  
  
As the three of them walked back to the center, Brock and Misty lagged behind Ash.  
  
"Brock," said Misty in a low whisper, "Do you think this has to do with Ash's... dad? I mean, I've never seen him like this before."  
  
Brock frowned, "Yeah, it probably does have to do with his dad. Father's Day must have reminded him of the father he never gets to see. But there's not much we can do about it, can we?"  
  
"We can make him feel better by talking to him," argued Misty.  
  
"Well," said Brock, raising an eyebrow, "If you wanna go up to him and remind him more about his father that he never gets to see or hear from, then go ahead."  
  
"No," said Misty, feeling defeated, "I guess not... I just wish that there was something I could do..."  
  
"Togi togi," agreed Togepi.  
  
"Yeah, me too Misty; me too," said Brock, looking ahead to Ash, who was still walking with his head down.  
  
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A/N: Heh, finally finished! So happy. ^^ Anywho, I'd love to have reviews! Even if they're flames (okay, so I was kidding about the flames, but I would like reviews). I hope to have chapter 2 done soon. 


	2. Ch 2 Some Sympathy From Friends

Heh, I would have finished these next two chapters sooner, but I had to read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Good book by the way! ^^ By the way, thanks to all who have reviewed and emailed me! Your support is wonderful! ^^  
  
Ties to Family  
  
Ch. 2- Some Sympathy From Friends  
  
It was night out, and Giovanni led Jessie and James, along with Meowth, to a large Helicopter pad.  
  
"You're really serious about this?" asked Jessie, looking up at the beating helicopter propellers.  
  
Meowth shook his head, looking at the ground. 'This is really weird,' he thought to himself, 'Why would the Boss even want to bother with acting like the twerp's father? Couldn't he get someone else to play the part? Why do it himself? What exactly was the payoff?'  
  
He looked over to the back of Giovanni's head. He had seemed almost pleased when he took up the job.  
  
'Maybe there's another reason he wants to do this...' Meowth thought, 'Maybe a... personal reason.'  
  
Meowth sighed, he knew nothing about the Boss, or his past, besides the fact that he absolutely hated the three of them. At least they got to be a part of this, luckily, they knew always exactly where the twerps were.  
  
'You think too much,' he told himself.  
  
Which was true, because Meowth was usually the brains when it came to his friends. He ignored his feeling of curiosity, and hopped on the helicopter along with Jessie and James.  
  
Once they got on board, Giovanni smiled darkly. "It's almost magic time..." he said with a sneer.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ash had a bad night of sleep. He tossed, unable to sleep, and frustrated about feelings he couldn't let out.  
  
Pikachu looked at him with a concerned expression. He didn't fully understand what Ash was so upset about, but he knew that somehow he should try to help Ash out.  
  
"Pikapi..." he said, realizing that he still hadn't gotten to sleep.  
  
"I'm fine Pikachu," Ash lied. He didn't want Pikachu worrying about him.  
  
"Pika pika!" said Pikachu, refusing to believe Ash's answer.  
  
"No, really, I'm fi--"  
  
"Pika!!" Pikachu said louder, getting angry.  
  
"Shh!" whispered Ash, "You'll wake up Brock and Misty... And I don't want them on my case too!"  
  
Misty's snores had subsided a bit...  
  
Pikachu folded his arms, waiting for Ash to answer him properly on what he was so upset about.  
  
Ash hesitated, then sat up. "Okay, but not here, let's go outside so I can talk to you," he whispered, making a quick glance at Misty to make sure she was still asleep.  
  
They went outside the Pokemon Center, and Ash sat on a small bench, looking up at the vast amount of stars out that night.  
  
"Pika?" said Pikachu impatiently, waiting for Ash to get along with it.  
  
"Well," started Ash, feeling a little more at ease, he always felt as if he could tell Pikachu anything, "You see, the last time I saw my dad was when I was about two... My mom says that he left us to go become a greater pokemon trainer or something stupid like that... I don't even remember what he sounded like when he talked, or how he walked, or what his favorite food was... The only reason I remember what he looks like is because of a picture I have of him."  
  
Pikachu looked sad for him.  
  
"I usually don't mind the fact that my dad is some kind of flake like Brock's dad, but, hearing that boy talk about his dad, just reminded me of it. I don't why I got so upset... we always meet up with boys and their dads... but, I guess, maybe because I'm getting a bit older now, and I'm doing so good with my pokemon training... I just wish I had someone to talk to about it besides mom..."  
  
Ash ignored the fact that tears were now forming in his eyes.  
  
Pikachu's ears perked up.  
  
"What is it Pikachu?" asked Ash, "Sense something?"  
  
Pikachu looked over to the Pokemon Center's door. Ash looked up.  
  
"Uh, hi... what's wrong Ash?" said Misty, her expression worried.  
  
"Nothing is wrong with me! Can't I just get a moment alone?!" yelled Ash, taking his frustration out on Misty.  
  
"But I just wanted to..." said Misty, sounding very sorry.  
  
"Well, you shouldn't have!" said Ash angrily.  
  
Misty looked at the ground. Ash's expression softened.  
  
"I'm sorry... it's just, I kinda wanted just Pikachu to know... but, I guess, since you're here..."  
  
Ash told her about what he and Pikachu talked about.  
  
Misty nodded, "I know just how you feel Ash."  
  
"What?" snapped Ash, "You don't know how I feel!"  
  
Misty ignored him, "Haven't you ever wondered why you only see my sisters when we visit Cerulean?"  
  
Ash fell silent. Maybe she did know how he felt.  
  
"You mean, you don't get to see both of your parents?" he said quietly.  
  
"That's right," she said, not seeming sad at all.  
  
"Why?" asked Ash timidly.  
  
"My parents left as soon as I was born," she said, now looking up to the starry sky, "They had some odd idea about a legendary water pokemon... I don't know, something like that. They absolutely loved water pokemon, or so my sisters told me, and I guess they must have loved them more than me; because they left."  
  
Ash sighed, "That's too bad, I'm sorry..."  
  
"That's okay," Misty said, smiling at Ash, "I've learned to live without them. I just accept the fact that they couldn't handle four children. It's a mistake that I can learn from someday when I have my own kids..."  
  
"Well," said Ash sternly, "I'd never leave my kids! I would never want anyone else to go through what I've, I mean we've, had to go through!"  
  
Misty nodded, "That's good to know."  
  
Ash began to stare off, "But I just wish that I could see him once in a while..."  
  
Pikachu stroked Ash's hair, "Pikapi..."  
  
A sound like a breaking twig made Ash and Misty jump.  
  
They looked over to where they heard it, and saw a very dazed-looking Brock shuffling toward them. His hair was all messed up, and his shirt was a bit askew.  
  
"Uh, what're... you... guys doing out here?" he asked between two large yawns.  
  
Ash, Pikachu, and Misty all laughed.  
  
"What?" asked Brock, feeling slightly offended. "Well... if you're just gonna.... be... that way, I'll go back to... sleep!" he said, attempting to sound angry, but since he kept yawning, it came off more as amusing than intimidating.  
  
Ash, Pikachu and Misty continued to laugh.  
  
"No!" Ash choked out between chuckles, "Don't go!"  
  
Brock agreed to stay, and the three of them, along with Pikachu, spent the rest of the night discussing their favorite pokemon; while Togepi slept soundly in Misty's bed. 


	3. Ch 3 An Odd Reunion

Ties to Family  
  
Ch. 3- An Odd Reunion  
  
As morning came, and the sun began to shine on the lawn in front of the Pokemon Center, Ash opened his eyes. It was then he realized that he, Misty, and Brock were still on the bench that they had been talking on during the night. Brock was scrunched up at the opposite end of the bench, while Misty was leaning against Ash's shoulder.  
  
"Must've fallen asleep out here..." Ash mumbled, starting to sit up more.  
  
He nudged Misty's head off of him gently, and she in turn then nudged Brock awake.  
  
The three of them, still a little groggy, went wandering into the Pokemon Center.  
  
Nurse Joy surveyed them as they came through the automatic door. "Where have the three of you been? Where you out past curfew time?" she asked them, her usual pleasant smile fading.  
  
"Uh, yeah, but I needed to sort some things out," replied Ash.  
  
Brock raced forward, now fully awake, "Oh Nurse Joy!! I'm sooo sorry that we went out after the enormously important curfew time that you yourself, so bravely enforces!"  
  
"Uh..." said Nurse Joy, attempting to pull back the hand of hers that Brock had seized.  
  
"Oh Brock, give it a break already!" said Misty, yanking him away from her.  
  
Nurse Joy ignored what had just happened, and turned suddenly, to Ash. "Ash, a man left a message for you earlier this morning," she said, sounding serious.  
  
Ash looked puzzled. "Who was it?" he asked, getting curious.  
  
"I don't know... but here's the note," she said, pulling out an envelope that was addressed to Ash Ketchum.  
  
Ash grabbed it, and looked it over as Pikachu sniffed it. Misty came back over with Brock still in tow.  
  
"Sorry I took so long," she said, without noticing the note, and giving Brock a very annoyed look, "But Casanova here met another 'girl he couldn't live without' down the hall so I took longer..." She trailed off, taking note of the envelope that Ash was now opening.  
  
"What's that?" asked Brock.  
  
"I don't know, some note for me that a man brought..." said Ash, still mesmerized by the letter.  
  
He brought it out, and read it aloud so that Misty and Brock could hear.  
  
"Ash, meet me at the biggest tree in Johto, which is just outside town as soon as you can..."  
  
He looked up for Brock and Misty's reactions. When they stood there silent, he went back to his reading.  
  
"I look forward to seeing what a wonderful person you have grown up to be... love....."  
  
But Ash stopped at this part. The person who sent the letter, was, well, it couldn't be, could it? Ash's stomach tightened.  
  
"Ash," asked Brock, looking concerned, "What's wrong? Who sent it?"  
  
Ash didn't look up at him.  
  
"It says... love, Adam Ketchum..."  
  
"What?" said Brock, still confused, "Who's that? A cousin of yours?"  
  
Misty whacked him on the head.  
  
"No! Adam is Ash's... dad's... name..." she said, staring at Ash, who was still holding the letter.  
  
"Your Dad?" said Brock, feeling that this was a very odd coincidence. "That's strange..." he added, looking at the letter himself.  
  
"Well," said Misty, "Should we do it?"  
  
"I say yes!" said Ash, suddenly looking determined.  
  
Brock and Misty looked at each other.  
  
"Well?" Misty said to Brock.  
  
"I'm all for it," he said, "I want to meet Ash's dad."  
  
"All right," said Misty, suspicious all the same.  
  
Pikachu still sniffed the letter carefully. Where had he smelled that smell before?  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Giovanni, Jessie, and James all stood at the biggest tree in Johto, watching for any sign of the twerp.  
  
"Now, remember, you're going to attack to try and steal Pikachu, and I'm going to save the little rat, got it?" said Giovanni.  
  
He had obviously had some makeup put on, his hair arranged differently, and the usual orange suit had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt. He looked very much like the man in Ash's picture.  
  
"But why do we have to be a part of this?" said James bravely.  
  
Giovanni looked annoyed, "Because, then I will have saved his furry, yellow nuisance, and he will think that I'm his dad for sure!"  
  
"I tawt you wanted Pikachu," said Meowth.  
  
"I do," said Giovanni, unsure of what Meowth meant.  
  
"Then why do you awways call him bad names?" asked Meowth.  
  
"Because I hate Pikachu, they're too cute for my taste... but if this one's as powerful as you three and Butch and Cassidy say it is, then it's worth this lame charade! And if I can get that brat on our side, then we'll have a much better chance at taking over!" Giovanni yelled, his temper getting to breaking point.  
  
"Are you sure you can be a dad?" asked James doubtfully.  
  
"Yes of course I can you imbecile!!" snapped Giovanni.  
  
"Here they come!" Jessie whispered to them, "Places Meowth, James!"  
  
Meowth and James went into their usual positions, and Giovanni, or Adam, hid behind a distant tree.  
  
Ash looked around nervously. "Well, this is the spot... I don't see anyone..." he said, beginning to give up hope.  
  
Misty heard a rustling sound. "What was that?!" she said, looking over to a couple bushes some feet away.  
  
"AHA!" cried Jessie, James, and Meowth as they burst from the large bush.  
  
"Prepare for trouble!" "Make it double!" "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all people's within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"  
  
Giovanni shook his head from behind the tree. 'They don't even say the damn motto right...'  
  
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" "Meowth that's right!"  
  
Ash and friends looked at each other, disgusted.  
  
"Can't you guys just leave us alone?" said Ash, angry that they were interfering with his meeting.  
  
"Oh sorry," said Jessie in her fake sweet voice, "We'll just go now, but we'll be taking Pikachu with us!"  
  
"What? No way!" yelled Ash, holding Pikachu tightly.  
  
"I don't think so," said James, "Meet, our new secret weapon! The Super Magic Grabby Rope!"  
  
"The what?" said Brock.  
  
James threw a lasso around Pikachu, narrowly missing Ash himself.  
  
"It's a lasso..." said Misty, still totally disgusted by them.  
  
Togepi retreated into its shell.  
  
James gave the rope a yank, but Ash wouldn't let go.  
  
"I'm not... letting...go!" he said, holding as tightly as he could onto Pikachu.  
  
James kept pulling. He knew Ash couldn't last forever. And he was right, the more he pulled, the weaker Ash was getting. He couldn't hold it much longer... "No....." said Ash, buckling under the pulling.  
  
Just then, a huge Nidoking came rushing to the middle of the rope and sliced it in two. It stood growling triumphantly as Ash and friends stared at it.  
  
A man came walking out from the trees.  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth all recognized him, but tried their best not to look it.  
  
Ash, realizing who this must be, smiled and turned to Team Rocket. "You guys are in big trouble now!" he said, waiting for their reactions.  
  
Jessie and James did their best to now look petrified.  
  
Adam Ketchum looked over to his Nidoking. "Nidoking, use your Hyper Beam!"  
  
Nidoking obeyed, and sent a bright orange beam out of its horn, straight at Jessie and James.  
  
"WWAAAHHHH!!!" yelled the three of them as they soared through the sky, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!!"  
  
They all laughed as Jessie and James' figures became a mere light in the sky.  
  
Ash turned to his father, doing his best not to cry.  
  
"Ash," said Adam, "I've been waiting a long time to see you... I know I haven't been the best father, but, I'll try to be a good one from now on... if you'll give me the chance..."  
  
Ash nodded with tears in his eyes. He hesitated, but then went straight up to his father, and gave him a great big hug.  
  
Nidoking was very puzzled as to what was going on, but did nothing except stand there, staring at Pikachu.  
  
Pikachu, however, was behaving very odd.  
  
Ash looked over to his friend. "Pikachu?" Ash asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"  
  
Pikachu looked as if it were poised to strike Ash's father. It was on all fours, wearing a very angry expression,, and its cheeks were sparking. It had suddenly remembered where it had smelled that smell before, and he knew at once that this was not Ash's real father.  
  
"Pi pika pika!" it yelled at Adam.  
  
Ash picked up Pikachu, "Pikachu! Don't do that!"  
  
He turned back to his father, "I'm sorry, he usually doesn't act like this... maybe he's just mad that you've never been there for me... yeah, that must be it!"  
  
"Well," said Adam, greatly relieved, "I wouldn't blame him... I've been a terrible example of a father!"  
  
"Don't worry," said Ash, "I forgive you."  
  
"Oh!" said Ash, remembering Misty and Brock, "These are my best friends Misty and Brock," he said, pointing to each of them in turn.  
  
"Nice to meet all of you, I hope you two have helped my son out a lot."  
  
They smiled and nodded.  
  
Misty stepped forward, "It's really nice to finally meet you sir!"  
  
Adam smiled, "Well, Ash I see you've met a young lady with both looks and manners!"  
  
Misty blushed.  
  
Ash glanced sideways at her, "She's not always so charming..."  
  
"Oh yeah!" yelled Misty, "Neither are you!"  
  
"Come on now guys," said Brock, "How about we go back to town, drop our stuff off at the Pokemon Center, and then chat over lunch with Ash's dad."  
  
No one objected, and with that, Ash, Adam, and the others all began to walk off back to the Pokemon Center.  
  
A/N: Well, two chapters posted in one day! I'd say that's pretty good. Reviews welcomed as always! 


	4. Ch 4 Quality Time with Dad

I think this is my longest chapter yet! Anyway, I'm trying to work on chapter 5, but since I just got a new pet bunny. that might be more of a priority. No matter, I should have ample time to work on it though over the weekend. Enjoy! ^^ Reviews welcomed!  
  
Ties to Family  
  
Ch. 4- Quality Time with Dad  
  
As Ash and friends, and family, set off for the Pokemon Center, a small, pink pokemon appeared a few hundred feet behind them.  
  
"Jiggly?" it said slowly, watching them walk away.  
  
It had apparently missed all the excitement with Team Rocket; which left it very confused.  
  
"Jigglypuff!" it said curiously, beginning to follow more closely behind the group.  
  
Ash was talking to his father about his badges and his most recent gym match at Blackthorn. Pikachu was no longer riding on Ash's shoulder, but walking angrily next to him, shooting angry glances at Ash's father.  
  
Jigglypuff situated itself next to Misty as they walked.  
  
"Oh, look! It's Jigglypuff!" Misty said, interrupting Ash's long-winded account of his battle with Clair.  
  
Ash and the others looked over at it.  
  
"Why does it always follow us anyway?" Ash asked aloud.  
  
Brock stopped to think. "Maybe it just likes being around us..."  
  
Misty's eyes brightened, "Maybe it wants me to catch it!"  
  
Ash cleared his throat loudly, "You know, I WAS talking to my Dad, who I haven't seen in a long, long time!!"  
  
Misty went quiet. "Oh yeah, sorry!" she said embarrassedly.  
  
Ash went back to talking and began imitating Charizard's Seismic Toss, "And then he threw it like this... roaaar!... and then before I could even realize how powerful he had become with all the training in the Charicific Valley, it was all over! Maybe sometime later you can give me some tips Dad."  
  
Jigglypuff puffed up largely, looking angry. "PUFF?!" it said, making Ash stop in his tracks.  
  
"What?" said Ash, looking mildly puzzled.  
  
Jigglypuff took one look from Ash to Adam, and immediately went running off in the direction it came from.  
  
"What, was that about?" said Misty, watching Jigglypuff's figure disappear on the horizon.  
  
Ash shook his head. "I dunno... do you?" he asked Adam.  
  
He too shook his head, "Haven't the faintest idea..."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------  
  
As they got to the Pokemon Center, Ash excitedly rushed to the phone.  
  
"What're you doing?" asked Misty.  
  
"Calling my Mom," said Ash, looking as if it were the single dumbest question she could ever ask. He dialed with ease, and then received a surprise when Tracey answered the phone.  
  
"Oh hi Ash!" Tracey said, looking happy to see him, "It's nice to see you guys!"  
  
Ash looked confused, "Tracey, where's my mom? She's usually there at this time of the day..."  
  
Tracey smiled. "Oh don't worry Ash, your mom just went on a trip, along with Professor Oak, to a small resort island in the Orange Islands called Apricorn Island. She won't be back for a week at least."  
  
"Huh? How'd she get enough money for that?" said a still confused Ash.  
  
"Well, it was kinda odd... a group calling themselves the 'Moms Who Have Sons Who Want To Be Pokemon Masters Group' said that she won this sweepstakes. Sounded kinda fishy to me; but when they said Professor Oak could go with them, I figured it was okay."  
  
Adam slapped his hand to his face. 'Moms Who Have Sons Who Want To Be Pokemon Masters Group?' he thought to himself, 'Idiots! Why am I surrounded by such half-wits? I'm surprised nothing's gone wrong so far in this plan!'  
  
"Something wrong, Mr. Ketchum?" Misty asked, noticing his struggling.  
  
"What?" he said, "No.. no.. I'm just getting a bit ill feeling from being hungry... can we eat soon Son?"  
  
"Oh.. yeah!" said Ash, turning to look out the window toward a nice restaurant that he was planning to show his dad.  
  
"I'll call you later sometime Tracey.... by the way, what're you doing at my house? Shouldn't you be at the lab?"  
  
Tracey smiled, "Well, I just finished feeding the pokemon at the lab, so I came over here to invite Mimie over to stay with me so it won't get lonely!"  
  
"Oh... great... now my mom has you calling that thing 'Mimie' too...." said Ash, looking utterly disgusted.  
  
Adam piped up, "Well, your mother always did have a thing with nick-names!"  
  
Pikachu glared menacingly at Adam, "Pi..."  
  
"Uh... Pikachu!" said Ash, staring reproachfully at Pikachu, "Anyway, see ya later Tracey!"  
  
"Bye Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Togepi, and, er, sir!"  
  
"Bye!" the rest of them said in unison.  
  
Ash hung up the phone. "Okay, let's get something to eat!"  
  
Together, they all walked into the small restaurant across from the Pokemon Center. It was a little too small, and they couldn't find a table large enough, so the had to split into two groups; Ash and his father sat at a table with Brock, and Misty sat by herself with Pikachu and Togepi.  
  
"Oh that's okay!" she said, when Ash asked her to sit at the other table, "I'd love some nice quality time with Pikachu and Togepi!"  
  
Ash looked a bit confused, "Uh, gee, I thought you'd be really mad..."  
  
"Not at all!" she said cheerfully. The truth was, she really didn't want to sit alone, but she didn't want Ash to have anything ruin his day with his dad. She would've wanted the same respect had her parents suddenly shown up. In fact, she envied Ash for having now spent time with both of his parents; something that she would probably never get to do.  
  
Misty took her seat next to Pikachu and Togepi. Togepi was in the baby seat, waving around a little piece of bread happily.  
  
Pikachu was still sulking. 'Here's my chance to find out what's wrong with Pikachu!' Misty thought slyly.  
  
Ash, Adam, and Brock al sat at a small table, and waited for the waitress to bring them the menus.  
  
"So," began Ash, "Why'd you want to see me anyway?"  
  
Adam looked puzzled, "I thought I told you, I wanted to see how much you've grown."  
  
"I know that, but why now?" he said, looking interested.  
  
"Well, I picked now because I knew I'd be passing close by you. I just called your mother a few weeks ago, and she said that you were probably nearing the end of your journey in Johto soon. So, I decided to take my chances, and leave the note for you in the Pokemon Center."  
  
"Wow, that's pretty thought out... and lucky!" said Ash, sounding impressed.  
  
"Speaking of lucky!!" said Brock loudly, goggling at the waitress bringing their menus.  
  
Ash rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh thank you so very much lovely maiden!" said Brock, as the poor girl handed him the menu.  
  
Adam chuckled, "What about you Ash, you want to oggle at the poor thing too?"  
  
"Huh? You mean like Brock? Nah, I don't do that kind of stuff... Brock's just weird..."  
  
Brock turned his head quickly to face Ash.  
  
"Oh really?!" he said savagely, "What about Giselle? And Tracey told me about someone called... Melody? And then there was the time Misty wore that yellow bikini... And the time Misty dressed up for the Summer Festival... And the time Misty--"  
  
"Okay okay! Shut up! She'll hear you!!" Ash whispered, looking to see if Misty had heard anything.  
  
Adam forced a laugh. 'Ugh... I hate laughing at stupid childish jokes....'  
  
Misty, trying to ignore that fact that she heard both hers and Melody's names in the same sentence, looked curiously at Pikachu.  
  
"What's wrong with you Pikachu?" she asked.  
  
"Pi?" said Pikachu, surprised that she was curious to know, unlike Ash.  
  
"Pikapi pika ka chu!" he said sorrowfully, pointing at Ash's dad at the other table.  
  
"I don't understand... why do you not like Ash's dad?" Misty asked, getting to the root of the matter.  
  
"Pi pika Pikapi chu!" he said, hoping that Misty would get it.  
  
"I don't think you're being fair, I mean, he's only just got here. Why don't you give him a chance?"  
  
"PIKA!" he said loudly.  
  
"Shhh!" Misty whispered, starting to get angry, "Look Pikachu, there's no reason to get all upset! It's not like Ash's father is some mass-murderer or something! He's just a dad! And you're not going to get anywhere with Ash if you keep insulting his father!"  
  
Pikachu slumped in his seat. Why would no one understand him? He wished that Meowth was there to translate for him... but then again, Meowth's probably on Giovanni's side... What was he gonna do?  
  
Togepi felt sorry for Pikachu. "Togi togi?" it said, offering Pikachu the last of its bread piece.  
  
At the other table, Adam was now busy telling the story of how he won his Kanto badges. Ash listened to every word with pure delight.  
  
"So that's how you won the Volcano Badge?" said Brock in an awed voice.  
  
"What about Sabrina and the Rising Badge?" asked Ash.  
  
"Well, that one was particularly hard to do... but with some help from my Persian... I eventually won."  
  
"Persian? What pokemon is that?" asked Ash curiously.  
  
"It's the evolved form of Meowth, here, I'll show you." Adam brought out a pokeball and in a flash of white light a Persian emerged.  
  
"See, it may not be my strongest pokemon, but it certainly is my personal favorite."  
  
"My favorite's Pikachu," said Ash, with a sad look on his face, "Too bad he doesn't like you."  
  
"He'll get over me," said Adam kindly, "Maybe he's just a little jealous that you're paying so much attention to me..."  
  
Ash glanced over to Pikachu, "Yeah... I guess so..."  
  
'Ugh...' thought Giovanni, 'Why do people like him always care so much about their pokemon? They're meant to serve our purposes, not be our friends. What a way to waste the energy of a powerful pokemon... on friendship... and love...'  
  
He watched Ash's face as he peered over sadly at Pikachu.  
  
'Perhaps those two incompetents were right... I might not be able to persuade Ash to join... no matter, if he refuses, I'll just have to steal his pokemon. But we'll see. I might actually convince him... I've done it to others before... why not this little boy? Besides, it would be the perfect revenge...'  
  
Brock just sat there, watching Adam's expressions closely.  
  
After everyone finished eating, Ash and company decided to go on a walk to enjoy the beautiful sunny day.  
  
"It's perfect!" said Misty, taking in the scenery.  
  
Pikachu was still walking a ways from Ash.  
  
Ash sighed.  
  
"Uh, can we stop here? I need to talk to Pikachu," he said to Adam and Brock.  
  
And with that, he motioned for Pikachu to follow him away from the group.  
  
"Pikachu... look, I know I haven't paid much attention to you since my Dad came," Ash paused, wondering which was the best way to phrase it, "But there's no reason to be afraid that I won't ever pay attention to you! He'll probably just want to leave in couple of days anyway..."  
  
Pikachu looked at Ash. Then at the ground. Ash looked so sad about all this... How could he really keep making his best friend feel this way? But if Giovanni was up to something... But what if he really is Ash's Dad? But then why all the make-up? Maybe that's what he normally looks like and he just changes his looks for Team Rocket...? Pikachu didn't know what to believe. It was all so confusing!  
  
"So," Ash said, finally breaking Pikachu's concentration, "Will you just try to be nice to him?"  
  
Pikachu reluctantly nodded. But he would be keeping an eye out for anything suspicious...  
  
Meanwhile, Adam took this time to ask Brock and Misty about their families. "That was, um, interesting Brock... how about you Misty?" asked Adam, after Brock had told him about his less-than-sane parents.  
  
Misty easily replied, "They left like you did. Except, they left right after I was born, not when I was two. I don't remember them at all, but my sisters do. They tell me that my parents had some crazy idea about catching, or using, I don't remember which, a legendary water pokemon in some far-off land... That's about it."  
  
"Hmm..." said Adam, "Seeing me come back to Ash probably makes you a bit jealous, right?"  
  
Misty looked a bit flustered, "No, of course not! I'm very happy for Ash!"  
  
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset..." said Adam, a dark smile on his face.  
  
Brock just stood watching, taking it all in. Thinking quietly to himself.  
  
Ash came back a moment later; Pikachu perched happily, yet not relaxed, on his shoulder.  
  
"What's goin on guys...?" he asked, seeing Misty's embarrassed face.  
  
"Nothing," said Misty quickly, she didn't want Ash to know that she was jealous...  
  
Brock said nothing, knowing that if Misty had wanted Ash to know, she would have just told him.  
  
Just then, Adam's cell phone went off. "Oh, excuse me, I must take this call..."  
  
He walked off behind the trees next to them, so that no one could hear.  
  
"Sir," said his assistant's voice on the phone, "We have sensors that indicate Jessie and James in your area... I don't know how they got there after you Hyper Beamed 'em, but they're there. I just thought you might like to know..."  
  
"I can't have those two around me... they might blow my cover. They almost already did from their bad acting skills earlier... I will deal with them tonight, after dinner."  
  
"What about the brats? Won't they follow you?"  
  
"I'll make sure none of them do... and if by some chance they do... I won't be responsible for what happens..."  
  
"Right sir."  
  
"Good-bye."  
  
"Goo--"  
  
Click. Giovanni cut her off, quickly went back to Ash and friends, and continued walking with them.  
  
"Come on!" said Ash eagerly, "I want to take you to this city's best attraction: the Mountain Town Amusement Park!"  
  
"Oh... goodie..." said Adam, looking absolutely not thrilled. 


	5. Ch 5 A Revealing Night

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Ah! Finally I finished the fifth chapter!! It took me long enough! Anyway, this one's pretty long too so enjoy! ^^

****

Ties to Family

Ch 5- A Revealing Night

"Oh look at that ride!"

"Are you sure it's safe Ash?"

"Of course it is Misty!"

"...."

"Oh come on! Dad and I will go on it, right Dad? ...Dad?"

"What?" said Adam, finally remembering that his name was now 'Dad', "Oh yes, Dad, I'm still not used to being called that..."

Ash still looked hopefully at him, "Well, wanna go?"

"Of course..." said Adam, with a tired voice. 'This is getting very tiresome... I haven't yelled at anyone in over six hours! When I find Jessie and James... I won't be a pleasant person...'

Suddenly Adam realized he was being herded into a very small seat by a very excited looking Ash. 'I've never really been on a roller coaster before...' he thought to himself.

The ride began to move upward.

Ash felt something bonk the back of his head.

"Ouch! Misty?" said Ash, turning around to look.

"Yep, I decided that it was worth the risk to have a little fun," she said, winking at him, "Besides, Pikachu wanted to come too."

"Pika!"

"Pokemon can ride on this?" asked Ash, looking surprised.

"Well, yeah, otherwise Pikachu wouldn't be on here would he?" replied Misty.

"What about Togepi?" asked Ash.

"Brock's watching it..." she answered, "And Togepi can't come on a huge roller coaster anyway! It would be frightened to death!"

"Oh... well I hope you two don't get too scared!" said Ash, chuckling to himself.

Just as finished turning back around, the coaster went sailing down its first, and highest, hill.

"OOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!" yelled Ash, looking very much scared. His eyes were streaming from the air racing past him, and he tightened his hold to a death grip on the safety bar. He peered over at his father, who sat there very still with a shocked expression on his face.

'Good,' thought Ash, 'At least someone's as scared as I am!'

Just as the track leveled out, Ash heard Misty talking to Pikachu.

"Wow! That was great! I was sooo scared, and I got to hear Ash scream like a LITTLE GIRL!"

She said the last part extra loud so that Ash could hear.

"What?! I did not!" he said defensively.

Misty just giggled, and soon after Pikachu joined in too.

"Dad, are you okay?" asked Ash, still ignoring Misty and Pikachu's giggles.

"... I don't think I like roller coasters..." said Adam, looking as if he were trying to control his fright.

Ash, Pikachu and Misty all laughed.

Adam repressed the urge to throw them a nasty look. 'Little pests...'

----------------------------------------------------------

It was beginning to get late, so they all decided to go back to the Pokemon Center and enjoy some of Brock's cooking. This city's Pokemon Center was especially nice, because its rooms included small kitchens for cooking.

"Are you sure you want to cook for all of us?" asked Adam, as he watched Brock pour in ingredients.

"Sure! I love doing this stuff!" he replied, adding more bay leaves.

"Hey Dad!" said Ash, running up to him, "Can I show you my pokemon?"

Adam's eyes brightened, "Sure, by all means!" 'Excellent... now this is something I like... seeing the pokemon that will soon be a part of Team Rocket.'

Ash threw up all of his five full pokeballs. Pikachu's remained on his belt as usual. Five flashes of light issued from them, and soon after, five pokemon figures stood where the light had subsided.

"Bay!"

"Totototo!"

"Cyndaquil..."

"Coo coo!"

"Phanpy."

Ash spoke up, "This is Bayleef, Totodile, Cyndaquil, Noctowl, and my newest addition, Phanpy!"

"Very impressive..." said Adam in a business-like tone.

"I also have other pokemon like Snorlax, Kingler, Muk, Tauros, and my three buddies, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard!"

"Lucky you... how did you manage to obtain all three starters in the wild?" asked Adam.

"Just lucky I guess! But it was probably skill!" said Ash, rubbing the back of his head embarassedly.

"...Right to his head..." mumbled Misty under her breath as she stroked Togepi's head.

"So," said Ash, "What pokemon do you have?"

"I have many pokemon, but I can't show you most of them because they would barely fit in this room," replied Adam, "But I can tell you what kinds I have."

Ash looked as if Christmas had come early.

"Sure!" he said happily.

Adam cleared his throat. "I have Persian, whom you've met, and Nidoking, whom you have also met. The other pokemon with me are Gyarados, (Misty gave a shudder), Houndoom, and Charizard."

"Wow... you have a Charizard too?" said Ash happily.

Adam nodded. 'Heh,' he thought to himself, 'Wait 'till you see it.'

Brock leaned his head out from the small kitchen, "Dinnertime!"

"All right!" yelled Ash, as he jumped over to the kitchen, Pikachu at his heels. Adam and Misty followed him in.

----------------------------------------------------

"Dinner was great Brock!" said Misty, rubbing her very full stomach.

"Yes, I wholeheartedly agree," said Adam, finising his last bite.

Brock blushed. "Heh, aww, you guys say too much!" he said, grinning.

Ash yawned. "That's the problem," he said, smiling at Pikachu, "Good food always makes me sleepy."

"Well then! How about we all get some nice, well-deserved rest," Adam suggested quickly.

His time was running out to catch Jessie and James before they get too close. He couldn't let anyone ruin this plan... it wasn't even just getting Pikachu anymore...

As they all laid down in their soft, warm beds, Ash called out. "Goodnight Dad! Brock! Misty! Yes, and you too Pikachu!"

"Goodnight!" Misty, Brock, and Adam called out in unison. Ash drifted off to sleep; his dreams full of pokemon adventures with Pikachu and his father...

------------------------------------------------------

It was about 2:00 in the morning when Giovanni woke up. He peered around the small room they had all been sleeping in, making sure that the three sleeping kids were still asleep. "Good..." he whispered in the dim lit room, "All asleep..."

Togepi stirred a little, but Giovanni failed to notice.

He carefully opened the door, and slipped out as quietly as possible.

"Tog..." said a groggy Togepi. It had been dreaming of battling other pokemon; Team Rocket's to be exact. But it had lost... and that's what had startled it awake.

"Togi!" squeaked Togepi, nudging Misty awake.

"H... Huh?" groaned Misty, looking puzzled.

"Oh, a bad dream? Don't worry Togepi, dreams are just dreams, they can't hurt you," whispered Misty, softly petting Togepi on the head.

"Togi.. pi!" squealed Togepi, feeling much better.

Misty smiled, and peered over to Ash's bed. 'At least Ash knows who his parents are... I don't even know my parents' names...' Misty thought bitterly. Then she stopped herself. She remembered back to the other day...

__

"They left like you did. When I was about two. I don't remember them at all, but my sisters do. They tell me that my parents had some crazy idea about catching, or using, I don't remember which, a legendary water pokemon in some far-off land... That's about it."

"Hmm..." said Adam, "Seeing me come back to Ash probably makes you a bit jealous, right?"

Misty looked a bit flustered, "No, of course not! I'm very happy for Ash!"

... Misty sighed. She was being jealous. How could she be anything but happy for Ash? Fighting with her emotions, she got up and looked out the window. That's when she saw him.

"Mr. Ketchum?" she whispered, not believing she was seeing him outside the Pokemon Center.

She looked over to his bed, and saw that his belongings were all still there.

"Well then... what is he doing?" she whispered to herself.

She stood there for a few moments, watching his figure sillhouetted against the moonlight; then walked to the door. 'I'm gonna see what he's up to,' she thought to herself, grabbing the doorknob.

She hesitated, glancing at Ash. 'No,' she thought, 'I shouldn't wake him... what if it's just nothing... he'll just think I'm jealous or something...'

Togepi walked up to her. "Togi?" it said curiolusly, wondering what she was doing.

"Alright..." Misty mumbled, picking up Togepi. "I could use some company... but you'd better be quiet..."

The night was a bit chilly, and a small breeze was blowing. Giovanni walked quickly to the edge of the forest, which was a good mile or two from the Pokemon Center. Misty followed a ways away from him, hiding behind trees once in a while when she would get too close. Soon enough, she began to hear voices ahead... familiar ones.

"So what are we gonna do to catch Pikachu?!" said an angry Meowth.

"Oh Meowth, calm down, James and I have it all under control," said Jessie, seemingly calm.

"Yes that's right. We're going to dig a really big hole..."

"And impress the Boss with our Motto..."

"And then--"

"That will be quite enough!!" yelled a voice.

Jessie and James both turned to see their Boss standing no more than a few feet away.

"B...Boss!!" said the two of them in a nervous unison.

Misty slipped behind another tree, listening closely to their conversation. She was very confused, and the more she heard, the more she wanted to know what all of this meant.

The three Rocket members all burst into a frenzy of half-baked explanations, and ideas they were planning to do.

"What, may I ask, are you three idiots doing here?!" yelled Giovanni, silencing them yet again.

They all stared, open-mouthed at each other.

Misty gasped as she finally comprehended what was happening. Ash's father... he couldn't be...

"Well?!" Giovanni spat impatiently.

They continued to stare.

"I seem to remember giving you three explicit, and I mean explicit, instructions to stay far far away from here!" Giovanni yelled, watching their expressions closely.

James gave Jessie a scared look.

Jessie kept staring at the ground. It had been her idea to come back and attempt at impressing the Boss. It had taken all of her energy persuading James and Meowth that it would work...

She pointed at Meowth, "It was all Meowth's idea!"

"What?! What did you just say?!" Meowth snapped.

Giovanni frowned. "Just leave this place. Otherwise, you will ruin my disguise, and that brat of a boy will find out who I really am," he said, putting his hand to his forehead.

Misty gasped again. Why would the leader of Team Rocket want to pose as Ash's father? Unless he wanted... Pikachu...

"Just leave; will you?!" yelled Giovanni, pointing in the direction Jessie and James came.

The three of them exchanged nervous glances, and then turned to leave. Before they could get more than five feet away though, a blinding flash of light issued from Jessie's side, and a large, blue pokemon appeared.

"Woobbaa!"

"Wobbuffet!!" screamed Jessie, grabbing her pokeball, "Get back in!!"

Wobbuffet jumped away from the red light that had lept from Jessie's pokeball and into a bush next to the tree Misty had been hiding behind.

Misty held her breath, but Togepi didn't realize the danger they were in.

"Togi togi!" it giggled, seeing Wobbuffet almost falling over.

Misty slapped her hand over Togepi's mouth as fast as she could... but...

"Wait!" called Giovanni pausing to listen, "I could've sworn I heard a... Togepi..."

Misty closed her eyes tightly, hoping that they would just think that maybe it were a wild pokemon or something. Giovanni walked briskly over to the tree Misty was behind, and then went to the other side.

Misty looked up at the face she had thought was Ash's loving father, only to find a cold, sinister looking man staring back at her.

"I..." she began, but found that she had no idea what to say...

"Grab her," said Giovanni, motioning to Jessie and James. They did as they were told. 

__

A/N: Heh, okay, I decided to leave this chapter as a bit of a cliffhanger, but the next chapter shouldn't take so long, considering I'm almost done with it, so sit tight! Please read and review. ^-^


	6. Ch 6 The Truth Comes Out?

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Okay, so I decided last minute to post both chapters at the same time. I was practically done with both, and since I haven't updated in a while, I figured what the hey? Anyway, enjoy, R&R! ^^

Ties to Family

Ch 6- The Truth Comes Out?

Ash stirred in his sleep. He was having a very strange dream...

He was chasing Ho-oh, and stretched his arm upward.

__

No...! Wait, I want to meet you!

But Ho-oh just kept flying on ahead. It seemed to be leading him somewhere... He followed the great fiery bird pokemon, feeling both excited and scared.

__

Where are you taking me?

Ho-oh didn't answer, and soon stopped and perched itself high atop a tree. Ash paused to catch his breath. He had never done so much running in his life. Then he saw a man before him. It was his father... but he looked kinda different. His eyes were different, and his face was a little different too. He smiled when he saw Ash, and opened his mouth to speak. But as soon as sound began to come form him, Ash felt something tugging at him....

"Wha...?" said a groggy Ash, waking from his dream.

"Pika..." said Pikachu, who had been tugging at his side for what seemed like ten minutes.

"Oh, need to go outside Pikachu?" said Ash, still sleepy, and thoughts teeming of his latest dream.

"Chu..." said Pikachu, nodding.

"Well, you shouldn't have drunk all that water before bed... I told you that you'd need to go..." finished Ash, now getting up.

He left the room with Pikachu on his shoulder quietly, and quickly, so as not to wake anybody up. Especially Misty. He remembered all to well the last time he had woken her up in the middle of the night without warning... She had almost killed him with her yelling. After that, Brock made him promise not to wake Misty up unless it was an emergency. He had agreed, but not after getting in his own yelling at Misty. He smiled to himself; the three of them had shared a lot of times together... Misty and Brock, those two were like family...

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Misty was beyond words. Jessie and James held her tightly, but not too tightly. They weren't used to kidnapping people, and doing this to the 'Twerp Girl' made them a bit uneasy. Wobbuffet held Togepi, and would toss it in the air once in while to keep it happy. Giovanni was cursing under his breath, obviously trying to think his way out of this situation.

Misty found her voice, and directed it to Giovanni.

"So you're not really Ash's father?" she said angrily.

Giovanni turned to face her, smiling. "Yes, that's correct. I'm not. But I certainly do pull it off well, don't I? You know, there's a reason for that... but, you'll have to discover that on your own..."

Ignoring the last part of what Giovanni had said, Misty glared at him, disgusted, "How could you do that to Ash? What kind of a person are you?!"

Giovanni laughed, "I'm the leader of Team Rocket; that's the kind of person I am."

Misty suddenly felt scared. She had heard stories and rumors about the leader of Team Rocket. None of them ended up good either. But she wouldn't give him the pleasure of knowing she was scared.

"So what? You don't scare me. I could probably beat you in a battle, and if anything happened to me, Ash and Brock would come looking for me, and they would find you!" she said, feeling that it had been well-said.

"Hmm, I don't doubt it, you do mean a lot to both of them. But that doesn't matter. Because I have a plan to make it seem like you are in the wrong."

He looked at Jessie and James. "You two idiots! Keep her here for a half hour. By then I should be back at the Pokemon Center to establish my alibi. Then let her go," he said, leaving Jessie and James confused.

"But Boss, just let her go?" repeated James, making sure he hadn't misunderstood.

"Yes, let her go; are you deaf and an imbecile James?! Do as I say, but make sure you wait at least a half hour."

"Yes sir!" both Jessie and James in unison.

With that, Giovanni smiled to Misty, and turned to leave. After a few seconds, he had completely disappeared into the forest.

Jessie turned to James. "This has really been a weird week... And it's all your fault!"

James glared at her, "Oh yeah, who's idea was it to come back in the first place?!"

"I remember!" said Meowth, "It was Jessie's!!"

"Why you little fools!" shouted Jessie, now glaring at the both of them.

Misty said nothing. She was still slightly shocked about the revealing of Giovanni, but she knew she had to get back to Ash right away, so she waited patiently, hoping that Team Rocket would get into a fight, and let her go.

"Oh yeah! Take dis!!" yelled Meowth, scratching at Jessie's face.

Jessie screamed. "Oooh! You're gonna get it!"

She let go of Misty, and hurled herself at Meowth. James was left with Misty.

"Jessie! What about the Twerp Girl?" he whimpered, looking a bit apprehensive.

Wobbuffet, seeing Jessie getting hurt by Meowth, felt a surge of loyalty, and dropped Togepi to join in the fray. "Wobbaaa!" he yelled, charging into the mess.

"Wobbuffet?!!" yelled James, now the only one left to watch Misty and Togepi.

Togepi waddled up to James.

"Togi tog togepi!" it said, pointing to Misty.

James shook his head. "No way! I'm not letting the Boss down this time!" he said, holding onto Misty tightly.

Misty struggled a bit, but knew she was no match for James. He was older, taller, and much stronger.

Togepi looked at the ground for a second, thinking to itself. Then it smiled, and raised its little hands, rocking them back and forth while saying, "Togi!"

James trembled. "Aaahh! What are you doing?!" he said, looking more worried by the minute.

Togepi just continued, and then stopped. With a final, "Togi!" James was gone in a flash.

Misty looked impressed. "You Teleported him, Togepi?" she asked.

Togepi just giggled, jumping up into Misty's arms.

Jessie yelled loudly, "Hold it!!!" She looked around. "Where's James?" she asked, a worried look flashing on her face.

"Oh, Togepi just psychically transported him somewhere. I hope you can find him! I'm going to go back to Ash now!" Misty said happily, and turned to leave.

Jessie began to get up to catch Misty, but realized that she could have been bluffing about James. So she called out for a moment, "James? James! Where'd you go?"

When she turned around, Misty was already gone.

"Oh great!" yelled Meowth, "I guess that means no nice office next to the Boss at Team Rocket Headquarters..."

---------------------------------------------

Ash was getting a bit impatient, and the air was getting a bit chilly. Luckily, he had brought his hat with him to keep his head warm. "Pikachu? Are you done yet? It's getting cold out, and I'm tired..."

Pikachu re-emerged, looking tired as well. Ash paused, then figured out what took so long.

"You fell asleep, didn't you?" he said to Pikachu, smiling a bit.

Pikachu nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on," said Ash, walking slowly back to the center.

As he got to the room door, someone came out from the shadows.

Ash looked quickly, "Oh, it's just you! You scared me Dad..."

"Sorry," a smiling Mr. Ketchum said, "I had to use the restroom... took me a while, but after asking Nurse Joy, I was able to find it."

Ash nodded, then opened the door to let them in. Pikachu looked at Adam suspiciously. Going to the bathroom? That sounded normal enough, but Pikachu could tell he was up to something.

Ash walked over to his bed, and as he laid down, glanced at Misty's. He always did this when laying down, just to make sure she was still there. It wasn't like she had been missing before, but for some reason it made Ash feel as if he were watching over her in some way.

But this time, there was no Misty in her bed...

"Huh? Hey Brock, where's Misty?" asked Ash.

Brock turned in his bed, "Oh Nurse Joy....."

Ash sighed.

Adam placed his hand on Ash's shoulder, "I'm sure she's alright... perhaps she's gone to the bathroom?"

Ash nodded, he didn't want to make it seem as if he was over-reacting.

Soon after Ash calmed down a bit, a panting Misty came racing into their room.

"Misty! Where have you been?" asked Ash, looking at her quizzically.

Misty glanced quickly at Adam, then looked sadly at Ash.

"Ash, there's something I've got to tell you..." she said, her voice wavering a bit.

Ash looked taken aback; Misty had never spoken to him like this before.

"Uh, yeah?" he said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

She gulped, this was taking a lot of courage, and all the while Adam was just expressionless, which was making her nervous...

"Ash..." she said, pointing to Adam, "He's n.. not your dad!"

Ash laughed, "Heh, great joke Misty, but I..."

He stopped, seeing the expression on her face. She was serious. He looked at his father, then back at Misty.

"What do you mean he's 'not my dad'?" said Ash, staring to look more serious.

Misty looked a bit scared. "Well, I mean he isn't. He's just been tricking you to get at Pikachu! He's really the leader of Team Rocket!"

Ash looked a bit angry now.

"Stop it Misty, the joke's not funny anymore! Can we just go back to sleep?" he said, looking frustrated.

Tears were now rolling down Misty's cheeks. "I'm not.. joking Ash..." she said, trying to hold back tears.

Ash was very angry and confused. He wanted to believe Misty, but he didn't want to believe. He then turned to his father. "You are my father, right?" he asked, wanting the answer to be 'yes' more than anything in the world.

"Of course I am," said Adam, smirking at Misty as Ash turned away. Brock raised an eyebrow.

"You must have been mistaken Misty," said Ash, feeling a bit better.

"No... I'm not mistaken... I followed him to where he was talking to Jessie and James... he told them to grab me... and then--"

"But you can't have seen him! It was dark out, and he was here going to the bathroom!" said Ash, his anger coming back.

"Don't be so hard on her Ash," said Adam, smiling, "After all, you must expect the strongest of individuals to be jealous sometimes..."

Misty's eyes narrowed. So that was his 'plan'. To make it seem like she was jealous. Well, Ash would believe her over him... wouldn't he?

"Ash, I'm not lying, nor am I jealous, I'm telling the truth!!" she yelled, trying to redeem herself.

Ash wasn't truly sure who to believe. He wanted to believe Misty, but what she was saying was so impossible... and it did sound a lot like jealousy...

Misty cut into Ash's silence. "Pikachu was right not to trust him! Remember, Pikachu didn't like him; well, well, that was probably why!"

Pikachu was torn. He knew Misty was right, but he didn't want Ash to be sad. But Pikachu was not about to sacrifice truth for Ash's happiness, especially in this situation. He jumped down off of Ash's shoulder, and stood next to Misty.

"Pika! Pikachupi pika pika!" he said, looking not angry at Ash, but at the man standing next to him.

"Pikachu..." started Ash, but he couldn't believe them... he just couldn't... there's no way they could be right... it was just some kind of mistake... he could never have been fooled that easily... and he looks just like his dad...

Ash looked downward at the floor, "You're wrong..."

Misty and Pikachu both stared at each other.

"You have to be wrong..." said Ash, still hiding his eyes behind the visor of his red and white hat.

"Ash..." said Misty, feeling a lump in her throat.

"I don't believe you!" yelled Ash, glaring at Misty.

Misty couldn't take it anymore, she suddenly felt angry. He didn't believe her? Both she and Pikachu, two of his best friends, were telling him the same thing, and he didn't believe them?

"Fine then! Go on and have Pikachu stolen; but I won't be a part of it!" yelled Misty turning on her heel and leaving the room before Ash could say another word.

Pikachu looked up at Ash in shock. He thought for sure Ash would believe him... He jumped angrily on Misty's bed, away from Ash, and pretended to go to sleep.

Adam sighed. "I'm so sorry... this is all my fault..."

Ash shook his head. "No, it's Misty and Pikachu's faults... not yours..."

Brock, still leaning over the side of his bed, shook his head too. He had been watching 'Adam' very close the past couple of days. The way he talked, the way he would act toward Misty when Ash wasn't looking, the way he would watch hungrily as Pikachu would demonstrate his power. He knew that Misty and Pikachu were right; but now was not the time to tell Ash this. He needed to wait for Ash to brood on what had just happened, and think with a clear head on what Misty and Pikachu had said. He was going to wait till the morning to tell Ash exactly what he thought about his so-called father.

----------------------------------------------------

The sun was starting to make the sky lighten up, signaling the morning. Misty walked slowly outside the Pokemon Center. She had no idea where she was going... She had been stupid enough to forget her backpack at the center, and knew that she couldn't go far without her things. So she was just wandering in the nearby forest. It was light enough so that she wouldn't be in any danger.

"What are we going to do Togepi?" she said, feeling worse than she had in the Pokemon Center.

Togepi looked sadly up at its trainer, wishing there were some way to make her feel better. That's when it heard it. A noise in the bushes ahead. Togepi called Misty's attention, then pointed with its small hand in the direction.

"What is it Togepi?" asked Misty, hoping it wasn't Team Rocket again.

Which it wasn't, as she soon found out, when Jigglypuff hopped out from behind the bush.

"Jiggly!" it said, looking happy to see Misty.

Misty was a bit confused. Jigglypuff had acted so strangely the other day... now it was popping out of bushes as the sun was coming up? But her question was soon answered, as a man came out from the other side of the wall of bushes, apparently following Jigglypuff to Misty.

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A/N: Who is the mysterious man with Misty?? Oh, you can probably guess Anyway, I'll have the next chappie done soon, so, like I said at the top, read and review please!


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